


Right After This Commercial Break

by dizmo



Category: NSYNC
Genre: Alternate Universe - American Idol Fusion, M/M, MTYG 2008, Popslash - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-24
Updated: 2008-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-02 19:44:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dizmo/pseuds/dizmo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>American Idol contestant Justin Timberlake through fellow contestant Chris Kirkpatrick's eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Right After This Commercial Break

**Author's Note:**

> For natalie for [Make the Yuletide Gay](http://www.maketheyuletidegay.org/) 2008.

The first time Chris saw Justin, it was across a crowded hotel lobby, full of a lot of people singing to themselves, and some milling around in the most ludicrous costumes you could possibly imagine. It was a bit obvious the people who were only here to see themselves on television. Yes, he knew that if he made it through this, his own... supercharged personality would be a large part of what would make or break him, but he also knew that he had the singing chops to back it up.

But the tall kid in the back third of the room, with the short hair, slightly curly, that you could tell would be ridiculously unruly if it got much longer... he had that indefinable something that Chris had seen a few times before, meaning he was going places. And he wasn't even doing anything but standing there and possibly humming to himself. If his voice was to half the level of his charisma, then he'd not only go to Hollywood, he might well win the whole damn thing.

But that? That was counting someone else's chickens before they hatched, and sometimes Chris had problems enough with his own chickens. Metaphorical chickens, of course. He didn't have any real chickens to have problems with. They tended to make a mess, from what he'd heard anyway.

But his number was about to be called, and he had some judges to wow. Or at least impress enough to send him on to the next round. He'd have to think about the tall kid later.

~~~

The first time Chris talked to Justin, it was about a half an hour later. Simon had been a bit dubious about the dichotomy between Chris's look and Chris's voice, but he pointed out that he just wasn't born a baritone. Randy and Paula gave a go-ahead, but he had to admit that it was a bit satisfying to get the unanimous Hollywood, reluctant though he may have been.

When he emerged from the room with his golden ticket, and was swarmed in a dogpile of sisters, he grinned.

When the celebration had settled and he'd finished up filling out the necessary paperwork, he heard a friendly voice congratulating him from behind. He turned around with a half-grin and looked up. It was the kid. "Thanks." And then he saw the yellow in _his_ hand, and so he added a, "You too."

The kid grinned, and Chris almost felt dizzy.

Well, he could always aim for second place. It wasn't much to sneeze at either.

~~~

The first time Chris introduced himself to Justin, it was a couple months later. The first time he had a real conversation with him coincided. They were on the same flight from Florida, and as luck would have it, they were in the same row, if across the aisle. He grinned across the aisle after some dude heading to his seat in the back third of the plane walked by. "Hey, I remember you. You made it just after I did, right?"

"Yeah, man, I think so. You were the one with all the sisters, right?"

He laughed a little. "Yeah, that's me. Chris Kirkpatrick. You can call me Chris, or hey you, or that short guy with the girly voice, or whatever. Just don't call me late to dessert."

The kid grinned. "Justin Timberlake. Pleased to meet you."

"Looking forward to this?"

Justin nodded. "I have been since the second I decided to try out."

"Oh? Knew you'd make it? Little cocky, huh?"

"Just confident. I know what I can do, and I have every intention of winning." He shrugged, grinning again, so that Chris really couldn't hold it against him.

"That's all right. I'm pretty sure I settled for second place the second I saw you'd made it to Hollywood."

"Oh?"

Chris shrugged himself, giving a grin of his own. "Whatever it is, Justin, you've got it. I could tell that from across the hotel."

Justin's grin softened to a bit of a smile. "Well, thanks."

"Sure thing." They were interrupted by the safety demonstration, and then Chris suddenly remembered that he was on a plane that would be taking him ridiculously off the ground.

Justin seemed to be remembering that too.

~~~

The first time Chris gave Justin a hug was on the very last day of the Hollywood round, when they were sitting together in the room with their final group of either semifinalists... or not semifinalists. To say there was a little tension in the room would be like saying that theme parks had a few kids in them. Even Justin seemed to be feeling it. Funnily enough, Chris was almost strangely relaxed. Which, given that it was him, being relaxed of _any_ sort was pretty strange. But he was in the same group as Justin. And he saw what Justin had done during Hollywood week. If Justin was in, he was in. He liked those odds.

And then Randy came and in a few moments the room was awash with glee. Before he even knew what he was doing, Chris had his arms around Justin and was jumping up and down and whooping like a banshee. He didn't feel awkward, either, because Justin was doing the same thing. That probably made him a bit more gleeful, even.

~~~

The first time Chris went on a date with Justin was more than likely entirely in his own mind. They'd just finished filming the show, and they'd both made it to the finals. Chris decided to order himself a pizza to celebrate. Shortly after it got delivered, Justin dropped by his hotel room to offer congratulations. Chris grinned, congratulated him back, and invited him in to share his pizza. Thankfully, he agreed.

The rest of that night was spent in a constant stream of conversation, with, Chris would allow, him going off into about three times as many tangents as Justin did. They also randomly would burst into snippets of song. Chris had been harmonizing since he was a kid, and their voices really fit well together. He almost wanted to abduct Justin then and there and start an a cappella group. And maybe grab a few other of the guys from the finals to help. But then he'd be denying America the pretty boys they'd voted for, and he really wasn't that cruel.

~~~

The first time Chris kissed Justin was in the week leading up to the final four. They'd gotten back to the hotel from some publicity-generating movie premiere or something. Chris was a bit busy being star struck to actually pay much attention to the movie. They'd gotten back to the hotel and Justin was in the mood to actually chat about the movie that Chris hadn't paid much attention to. Chris decided to humor hum, so they sat down and Chris just let him loose. Just after he'd gone on a long and enthusiastic rant on how awesome the climactic action scene was, Chris decided he just couldn't resist. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Justin Timberlake's, hoping he hadn't just completely ruined a perfectly good friendship.

When Justin kissed him back, he was pretty sure he hadn't.

~~~

The first time Chris realized he loved Justin, he was standing on stage at the Nokia Theatre, looking across Ryan Seacrest and seeing him bathed in spotlights, right where he belonged. The fact that he himself was _also_ bathed in spotlights seemed rather incidental. Yes, he'd been joking since he first saw Justin that he was hoping for second place, but now that it was a rather distinct possibility, he was stunned by the whole thing. And a part of him really wanted to win. ... But then he realized that a part of him also really wanted Justin to win. And he really wanted to know which part of him would end up satisfied. But a third part of him already kind of knew. And a fourth part of him realized just how crazy dividing himself up into parts was, but a fifth part of him totally didn't care.

Seacrest was talking. "America, are you ready to find out your next American Idol?"

It was too early. It was undoubtedly leading to yet another commercial break fakeout, which was leaving _every_ part of Chris on edge. He tried to keep himself from bouncing on the balls of his feet, but that was a completely lost cause. Justin shot him a wry grin, and he couldn't keep himself from grinning back.

There was the commercial. The crowd was buzzing. So was Chris's head. And then it was over, and it was actually happening.

"The winner, and your next American Idol _is_..." A much too long pause.

Really. He wanted to smack the producers. And Seacrest.

"... Justin Timberlake!"

It was fated, really. Chris wrapped his arms around the champion and murmured into his ear. "Way to go. You deserve it." And then after a heartbeat. "Love you."

Justin brightened even more as confetti and balloons fell around them. "Love you too."

Chris stepped back then with a smile and let the celebration go on. And when Justin sang his victory song, a piece of extremely schmaltzy pop about expectations and dreams coming true, in front of the judges, the audience, the country, and the world... Chris knew that a good part of Justin was singing just to him.

And that's just how he wanted it.


End file.
